Multiple reports have indicated that Pat McAfee making his WWE return to align with Randy Orton was not made by the creative department.
Paying off the mystery caller angle that has been seen on TV over the past few weeks, McAfee made his way into the ring as Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton were brawling during the opening segment of the April 3 episode of SmackDown. Hitting Rhodes with a low blow, McAfee claimed that he was back to save the business, pointing out some of the flaws within the promotion while also adding that Orton has not been heavily featured on TV.
As reported by BodySlam.net and, PWInsider Elite, the decision to have McAfee side with Orton was made by TKO leadership as opposed to the weekly WWE writing staff, with Bodyslam claiming that Ari Emmanuel was the one who made the call.
It is noted that the reasoning behind the decision ties into WWE’s agreement with ESPN, with the additional hope that McAfee’s presence will help to drive ticket sales given his appeal to the wider sports fanbase. It is also noted that McAfee always intended to make a return to wrestling and that his previous comments about the business passing him by wee more storyline driven.
Analysis – Wrestling Fans Unhappy With Pat McAfee Reveal In Randy Orton Storyline
Although WWE and ESPN will be hoping that a McAfee return will create WrestleMania buzz for the show, those who follow the product regularly have already had their say. The YouTube video featuring McAfee’s appearance is inundated with negative comments, some of which claim that this is an encapsulation of everything that is wrong with WWE under the TKO era.
With one of the biggest matches of Manai 42 being given a mystery angle, fans were hoping for someone big when it was time for the reveal. However, much like announcing John Cena as the guest host for the show, few will be buying tickets because Pat McAfee will make an appearance.
Featured image: WWE
